


Lovingly - Almost

by chenpath



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Body Horror, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Sassy Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Secret Relationship, Soft Gavin Reed, Swearing, i mean it's implied kinda, some android limbs might or might not get removed during this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23188354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenpath/pseuds/chenpath
Summary: Connor got himself hurt during an investigation and is getting repaired. Gavin is worried. And clingy.
Relationships: Connor/Gavin Reed
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	Lovingly - Almost

“You could have died.”

  
There is a faint echo in the now empty room – empty, aside from the two detectives, one of them, the android, seated on an examination table, that resembled a workbench much more than it was probably supposed to. 

  
His current action was interrupted by the other’s remark, the white shirt with splatters on the sleeve - now fading as the blue blood slowly evaporated – still unbuttoned.

  
His gaze glided to his… colleague, who was still leaning against the wall near the door, on the other side of the room.

He had refused to leave Connor alone for the duration of the procedure. _Typical_ , the android thinks to himself, offering the other a tired, impassive look.

Overly protective and distrustful, even towards the qualified technicians tasked with putting Connor together again, following the incident during one of their investigations.

He had not anticipated another android. Not one of the tall, burly military models, either. There was no pain when the arm popped out of its socket, wires tearing and Thirium spilling out of the wound. It wasn’t pleasant, exactly, having one’s arm ripped right off, but it wasn’t painful per se. The detective found himself staring at his now detached limb, hanging limply in the sleeve of his white shirt, stuck in a state of shock, for the briefest moment. And then, with a sudden headbutt and a mighty kick he sent the attacker to his knees, apprehending him soon after.

He had not even noticed Gavin screaming, back then. He pretended not to be all too fazed by the terrified expression on his face or his concerned, desperate attempts at figuring out whether the android would be okay, if there was anything he could do to help, what in the world he was thinking, taking on the giant on his very own…

Now, that was a good question. What _was_ he thinking?

“He could have killed you,” sounds again, the voice managing to tear Connor out of his contemplation, this time around. Gavin closes the gap between them, staring the android down, an angry scowl upon his features. He lets the statement – a terribly exaggerated one, as far as Connor is considered - hang in the room for a moment, the air between them growing thick with tension of words unspoken and fury stewing in the human detective’s mind.

Then, hesitating, just for a brief moment, he reaches his hands out, gently cupping Connor’s jaw and cheeks in them.

Lovingly. Almost.

Not that the android would ever dare to assign the word to anything related to Gavin Reed. Not openly, anyway.

“It was just my arm, Gavin.” he reassures, studying the other’s face carefully. The detective doesn't seem to quite agree with the statement.

“Yeah. He ripped your arm right off. Like it was nothing,” comes the reminder, almost as if scolding a disobedient child.

“What else could he have done if I didn’t catch up with you when I did?”

“Oh.” The android blinks. “So now _you_ are the one taking credit for apprehending the suspect?”

Gavin gave a hum in response, nodding his head slightly. “Don’t get cocky. Had I not distracted him…” He never finishes the thought.

His right hand slowly creeps down to Connor’s bare chest, right below his collarbone, where the layer of artificial skin begins covering the sleek white plastic underneath. He rests his hand against it firmly, as though looking for the other’s heartbeat.

As though to steady himself with the slow, rhythmic pulse of the artificial heart.

“You could have fucking died-” he repeats, third time already, this time his voice breaking a little at the end of the sentence, as he quickly pushes himself closer to the android, averting his gaze and hiding his face. Connor does not turn his head to follow the other.

He can feel as Gavin grabs onto his left shoulder, digging his fingers into the artificial skin like he was holding on for his dear life.

Overly protective. As though the android had recently obtained a vicious guard dog, loyally remaining by his side, no matter the circumstances. By now, he had grown accustomed to the presence, learned to find it reassuring, even.

Still, at times it could still be a little… bothersome.

A smile graces his lips as he begins to speak, his voice quiet and gentle, as usual:

“And that is why you’re all over me, as soon as we’re alone?”

The soft brush of Gavin’s lips against his neck disappears immediately, a growl lingering in the detective’s voice as he retorts, angry and defensive:

“Fuck you. I was worried, okay? I was fucking worried about you.”

This time Connor does not dare speak; he doesn’t dare interrupt the other. He settles in, his shoulder gently pressed against Gavin’s, his hand reaching up to the back of the detective’s neck. He lets him vent his frustration.

“You _cannot_ just do that.” Gavin continues, rambling on, with his face still partially hidden from the android’s sight.

“You can’t just run off like that, you can’t just pick a fight with a guy twice your size-”

_Not nearly twice my size_ , Connor thinks to himself, but he remains silent. He traces his fingers absentmindedly over Gavin’s skin.

“You can’t just leave without telling me what you’re doing. We’re partners, Connor. Partners! You don’t even know what that word means, do you? Your fucking plastic brain doesn’t even have a definition for it saved up anywhere, I bet. You’ve got access to all dictionaries in the world, right up there, you could use them anytime, but you won’t even fucking do it!”

Connor wasn’t even going to begin explaining how wrong the other was in his assumption. He did, however, open his mouth to speak, briefly interrupting Gavin’s tirade:

“I was chasing a suspect-” he began, tentatively, just to be cut off by an angry scoff.

“Yeah, right. Of course.” He feels Gavin nod his head, in a manner he had by now registered as sarcastic. 

“You were just doing your job. As per usual. You just do your job. You don’t think, you do not consider others' feelings, you just jump into action. Like the good little machine you are. Of course, that’s what you do.”

A frown slips onto the android’s features. Aside from Gavin’s statement being borderline offensive and somewhat hurtful, this time the detective sounded genuinely… upset.

Not even angry anymore, just worried and distraught.

Connor rests his hand on the other’s shoulder, pushing him back gently, just enough to be able to see his face.

“Gavin? What-”

“Don’t- fuck, don’t look at me.” The pained look in the detective’s eyes promptly merges into one of annoyance, his hand shooting up to brush the faintest trace of tears away, as he turns to move away from the android.

“Fucking… stupid…”

“Gavin.” Connor manages to grab him by the wrist, pulling the detective closer again, right back to where he was. His shoulders have slumped and the anger he seemed to run on just a moment ago evaporated, leaving him behind tired and sad. 

The detective keeps his gaze locked on the ground, until the android rests his hand under his chin, pushing his head up so that their eyes can meet.

The injury he sustained clearly did not bother him anymore, as Connor was able to move his right arm again, as though it had never even been damaged in the first place.

There is a serious, yet affectionate look on his features as he speaks.

A loving one. Almost.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would upset you.”

“Yeah, well-” Gavin scoffs, though he doesn’t pull away this time around. “As I said. You don’t think all too often, I feel. If at all.”

“Still-” Connor leans closer to plant a kiss on the detective’s forehead, trapping both of Gavin’s hands in his. He gently squeezes them as words of reassurance pour out of his mouth:

“You are right. We are partners now and I should… at least let you know what I intend to do, before-”

“No, wait, fuck-” Gavin interrupts him promptly. “Look, that… I don’t think you had much of a choice, back there. He would have run off and I… I’m not nearly fast enough to catch up with one of you guys.”

As much as he hated to admit it, rationally he was very aware of the fact. Androids, especially the ones built for combat, were on average stronger and faster than any human. They were meant to be like this, that’s all there was to it, really. Though it had been difficult at first, by now Gavin had accepted it as a part of life.

No matter how much damage that simple instance caused to his ego. 

“So, don’t apologize. Not for that.” comes the conclusion. “You did what you had to do, you… fuck, you _were_ doing your job.” he admits, looking to Connor with shame written upon his face.

“I just-” This time it’s his grip that tightens on the android’s fingers. “I was worried. And I lashed out at you and it’s… it’s stupid. I’m stupid!” He sighs, turning his head to the side once more.

A mumbled “I’m sorry” follows, without the detective daring to look up at the android. Yet again, nothing but the echo of his words, followed by silence lingers in the room.

Finally, Connor brings Gavin’s hands up to his mouth to press a kiss to the knuckles, the skin under his lips calloused and withered.

Such a small, insignificant gesture. Such a loving one.

“I understand.” he speaks, a gentle smile yet again gracing his features. Gavin nods, even though in his heart of hearts he isn’t certain he believes the android’s words.

He decides to cast his doubts aside, this time.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, his voice a little louder and steadier this time around, yet not any less apologetic.

“It’s fine. I will try to… make you worry less.” Connor retorts, a cheeky grin suddenly slipping onto his lips as he looks to the detective.

“And, uh… to get less of my limbs ripped off. This… really doesn’t usually happen…” he adds, thoughtfully almost. There is a pause before a short laugh responds to his words.

It appears as though Gavin is about to add something else to his reply, but he is promptly cut off by the sound of the door opening. Yet again, they are not alone in the room and Gavin has to scramble back and away from the android, both detectives doing their best pretending that their fingers had not been intertwined at all and that the cough suddenly escaping Gavin’s mouth wasn’t meant to disguise his embarrassment and that the smile on Connor’s lips is caused by nothing else but his arm being back in place and working just as it was intended to.

That the two did not share one last loving look before being so cruelly interrupted.

Perhaps one day they will both be brave enough not to pretend their relationship was that of colleagues, of friends, and nothing beyond that – but for now the android cannot help himself, biting back a chuckle as Gavin awkwardly excuses himself out of the room, attempting to make his behavior seem as inconspicuous as possible and by that achieving the exact opposite. 

Trying so hard to keep himself composed, to not arouse any suspicion whatsoever… while making an absolute fool out of himself.

And Connor? Connor says nothing at all, watching the detective escape out of the room, turning one last time to glance back at him, right before the door closes.

The way he looks at him…

Lovingly.

_Almost_.

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic ever to be posted online! I'm both excited and terrified.  
> This one was written for a Hurt/Comfort request on tumblr, to accompany an artwork with the same topic. You can find it [here](https://chenpath-art.tumblr.com/post/612862018286944256/you-could-have-died-and-that-is-why-youre-all).


End file.
